Echo and Narcissus By: Spenser Lacox, Sydney Moore, and Gabe Thompson
Introduction
Echo and Narcissus is the story of a woman who will never be loved by the man she loves. Although it is a tragic story, it provides valuable life lessons, such as not getting loved back isn't a horrible thing. Many words we use today are derived from this story. This is only the beginning of this classic story though. There is much more to read about.
Echo
Before we can get into the story we have to learn about the characters. Echo was a wood nymph who loved to here her voice. But one day she saw a youth named Narcissus and fell in love immediately. She was a troublemaker though. She released Juno's reckless husband, which made Juno take away Echo's voice except to respond to other people's voices. The thing that she loved the most had been taken away.
Narcissus
Narcissus or Narkissos in some language is a beautiful youth that is selfish and narcissistic. He loves no one but he "lies" with men and women. He "lies" with both men and women because the god Nemesis put a curse on him. His name is possibly derived from the Greek word narke which means sleep or numbness. He, like Echo, is a troublemaker. He goes around "lying" with nymphs and when they want to love him he always rejects their advances. He later learns how it feels to love and not be loved back.
Plot
This story starts out with a wood nymph named Echo seeing a youth named Narcissus. There were now two things Echo loved. The first one is hearing herself talk and the second one is Narcissus. Echo's love for her voice did cause her to do some very troublesome things. She released Juno's reckless husband who was in captivity to stop his recklessness. Echo did not go unpunished for this though. Juno took away the thing Echo loved most, her voice. The only time Echo could talk was when she was talked to, so she could respond. This is where we get the word echo,when you hear yourself responding to your words.
Echo was still in love with Narcissus, even though she could only respond, not ask. She would often wait in the woods to try and meet him. One day, while both Echo and Narcissus were walking through the woods, Narcissus heard Echo walking and asked who was there. Echo responded and said she was looking for him. Narcissus asks why Echo shuns her and said that they should come and talk to each other. Echo runs up and puts her arms around Narcissus but reacts differently than Echo. Narcissus pushes Echo off him and says he'd rather die than be with her. Echo becomes heartbroken and runs to the mountains to grieve. She grieves for a very long time until she finally dies and becomes part of the mountain.Only Echo's voice is left on the Earth.
As time passes, the gods get fed up with Narcissus's selfish behavior and agree to put a curse on him, where he will feel how to love and never be loved back. One day, Narcissus comes upon a river. He tries to drink from the water but he doesn't see his reflection. He sees the face of a beautiful person. He stares at the face for awhile and finally leans in to kiss the face. But when his face touches the water, the person's face disappears. Narcissus becomes very upset that he is not loved back by the beautiful person he just saw in the lake. He grieves for a long time just like Echo and dies. Where he died a flower grew. As Narcissus was mourned by the nymphs, Echo's voice mourned him as well.
Themes
Don't love someone who won't love you back.
Watch out for people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder(NPD)
Don't have to much pride in yourself
Think about other people, what you did to them could happen to you.
Words Derived From Echo and Narcissus
Narcissism-Being to preoccupied with oneself. Echo-The responding voice you hear when you yell in a quiet area. Aural-Of, pertaining to, or perceiving the ear.
Fun Facts For The Little Ones at Home
Echo was crying with Narcissus when the person he loved went away.
Narcissus didn't cry tears of pain, it was frustration
Narcissus was being selfish before he was 16!
There is a plant named after Narcissus
Echo might be that responding voice in a quiet area. Gives you something to think about. Take that home with you.
Sources
"Echo and Narcissus." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Nov. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. "Echo (mythology)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Mar. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. "Narcissus (mythology)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. "LEGEND." Legend of Echo and Narcissus. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. Ovid, and Horace Greeley. The Metamorphoses. Mentor Classics. 1958. Print.
By: Spenser Lacox, Sydney Moore, and Gabe Thompson
Introduction
Echo and Narcissus is the story of a woman who will never be loved by the man she loves. Although it is a tragic story, it provides valuable life lessons, such as not getting loved back isn't a horrible thing. Many words we use today are derived from this story. This is only the beginning of this classic story though. There is much more to read about.
Echo
Before we can get into the story we have to learn about the characters. Echo was a wood nymph who loved to here her voice. But one day she saw a youth named Narcissus and fell in love immediately. She was a troublemaker though. She released Juno's reckless husband, which made Juno take away Echo's voice except to respond to other people's voices. The thing that she loved the most had been taken away.
Narcissus
Narcissus or Narkissos in some language is a beautiful youth that is selfish and narcissistic. He loves no one but he "lies" with men and women. He "lies" with both men and women because the god Nemesis put a curse on him. His name is possibly derived from the Greek word narke which means sleep or numbness. He, like Echo, is a troublemaker. He goes around "lying" with nymphs and when they want to love him he always rejects their advances. He later learns how it feels to love and not be loved back.
Plot
This story starts out with a wood nymph named Echo seeing a youth named Narcissus. There were now two things Echo loved. The first one is hearing herself talk and the second one is Narcissus. Echo's love for her voice did cause her to do some very troublesome things. She released Juno's reckless husband who was in captivity to stop his recklessness. Echo did not go unpunished for this though. Juno took away the thing Echo loved most, her voice. The only time Echo could talk was when she was talked to, so she could respond. This is where we get the word echo,when you hear yourself responding to your words.
Echo was still in love with Narcissus, even though she could only respond, not ask. She would often wait in the woods to try and meet him. One day, while both Echo and Narcissus were walking through the woods, Narcissus heard Echo walking and asked who was there. Echo responded and said she was looking for him. Narcissus asks why Echo shuns her and said that they should come and talk to each other. Echo runs up and puts her arms around Narcissus but reacts differently than Echo. Narcissus pushes Echo off him and says he'd rather die than be with her. Echo becomes heartbroken and runs to the mountains to grieve. She grieves for a very long time until she finally dies and becomes part of the mountain.Only Echo's voice is left on the Earth.
As time passes, the gods get fed up with Narcissus's selfish behavior and agree to put a curse on him, where he will feel how to love and never be loved back. One day, Narcissus comes upon a river. He tries to drink from the water but he doesn't see his reflection. He sees the face of a beautiful person. He stares at the face for awhile and finally leans in to kiss the face. But when his face touches the water, the person's face disappears. Narcissus becomes very upset that he is not loved back by the beautiful person he just saw in the lake. He grieves for a long time just like Echo and dies. Where he died a flower grew. As Narcissus was mourned by the nymphs, Echo's voice mourned him as well.
Themes
Words Derived From Echo and Narcissus
Narcissism-Being to preoccupied with oneself.
Echo-The responding voice you hear when you yell in a quiet area.
Aural-Of, pertaining to, or perceiving the ear.
Fun Facts For The Little Ones at Home
Sources
"Echo and Narcissus." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Nov. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.
"Echo (mythology)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Mar. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.
"Narcissus (mythology)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.
"LEGEND." Legend of Echo and Narcissus. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.
Ovid, and Horace Greeley. The Metamorphoses. Mentor Classics. 1958. Print.